Burining Hera

Burning Hera Here I am writing a pathetic report on some of reverts in Islam who was originally from the Hindu community of India. This report was collected from an Urdu News Letter named Armugan, published from Fulat (Zamiat-E-Shah Waliullah) U.P. India. The reverted person interviewed by the press, was from a Hindu family of Boorhana Polish Station of District Muzaffarnagar of U.P. province. Let us know the facts in his own version which were as under: I was a Rajput, aged about 42-43 years, born in a conservative Hindu family but our ancestral profession was gang robbery with arms. We were accustomed to outrage people without any mercy. Murder and coercion were our companions within our blood. In the year 1987 I participated in the Mirat communal riot along with my father, elder brother and at least 25 other companions and caused death to many Muslims. We joined Bazrang Party and in 1992 we murdered a lot of Muslim people in Shameli, the occasion was destruction of Babri Mosque there. In 1992 there was riot also in Burhana and we massacred many Muslim lives due to our hatred towards them. How heartless we were (He was weeping). We were at the verge of fire then, as described in the Surah Buruz in the Holy Kuran as if the Surah was revealed indicating me. My elder brother had two sons and two daughters. In-spite of our harsh mentality to others we had endless love among the members of the family. This is to be mentioned here that I had no issue and the children of my brother were very affectionate to me. Hira, the eldest daughter of my brother was very emotional. She took her education up to class eight in the school; after that we engaged her in household works as she was growing older but she had great desire for higher studies as a result she some how earned money by working in other people's household for eight days and paid her school fees and cost of books and papers. For understanding her lessons properly she some times sought help of a Brahmin girl of a neighboring house. There was a young-man in that Brahmin family who was a terrorist but some how managed to earn the confidence of my niece. He took her away from the house and they went to the jungle near the village Baroot, where he used to live along with his gang. Hira realized that she had done great wrong by leaving her family and she was repentant for that. She used to weep when she stayed alone. There was a Muslim young-man in that gang who was from a nearby village Idrispur. One day he noticed Hira to weep and asked her the cause. She expressed of her fault and informed that she was very anxious for her parents and also that she feared about how she would maintain her chastity and modesty among the group of the dacoits. The Muslim young-man was sympathetic to her. He said to her that he was a Muslim and a Muslim does not break his promise. He also said her that she was as if his sister and he would try to send her back safely to her parents and protect her under any circumstances. The young man declared that they required a girl in the group for better operations of the gang and he managed to keep her in man's dress to avoid the curious sight of others. Hira found the young-man very sincere; he was quite different from others in behavior. He was very strict to keep his commitments. He always kept a portion of the booty for the poor people from his own share. He managed a separate room for Hira and guarded her through out the night. After some days she gradually became as normal as a male member of the gang. One day he sent Hira to Idrispur, his village home showing some excuse. He advised her to tell every thing to his younger brother and to come to meet him in the jungle with the rumor that the people of the Baroot village handed over the girl to the police authority. Hira did as was directed; the younger brother came and said that the villagers of Baroot handed over the girl to the police. The Muslim young-man then advised his brother to send Hira to the police station and to report that she was taken over by a gang of robbers and she somehow escaped from them. Police authority then arranged to send back Hira to our village. We received her back gladly but were anxious whether she lost for chastity. She told us that she protected her-self and still a virgin but people did not believe her. There was a proposal of her marriage from an educated family. They demanded for a medical examination about this. We along with my elder brother decided to take her to a hospital at Boorhana. We decided if every thing found O.K .then O.K. but if any thing found wrong, we should just kill her and throw into the river. By the grace of Allah every thing was found O.K. and we gladly returned home with the report but the marriage proposal was some how broken with some excuses but we were not anxious about that. Hira used to speak highly of the Muslims and always mentioned that due to the help of a Muslim boy her life and dignity was saved. She began to go to the houses of the Muslims and read their religious books. One day we bit her to the extreme for reading those books but could not prevent her from doing so. Islam has already rooted within her and enlightened her mind so nothing could prevent her from her path. After some days she went to a Madrasa with a Muslim girl and embraced Islam. She learned how to pray and practiced it in the house beyond our sight. We noticed a change within her; she became sacred and tried to keep herself aloof from others of the family. One day she went out of the house and .reached Fulat with the wife of some Maulana. There she lived some days and after that Maulana Kalim Siddiqui Saheb sent her to Delhi at his sister's residence for her safety. She lived there in Delhi for as long as one and a half year; she found the atmosphere there very congenial and lived happily. She was renamed there as �HERA� the cave where the first revelation came to Mohammad (pbuh) from Allah. She used to call the sister of the Maulana as Fufu (Aunt) and lived there as a member of the family. She was very deeply inclined to her faith and observed all the rituals of the religion with utmost sincerity. She had also great love for her own family especially for her mother. One night she dreamt a dream as if her mother was dead. She began to cry for her and often spoke about the fate of her mother; she was anxious if she would die as a non-Muslim and would be a subject to the hell fire. Time and again she cried for her mother sometimes aloud. She sought the permission for going home from Maulana who advised her not to go; and told if she would go, there was danger for her life. They would not let her live; more over there was fear that they could forcibly convert her to their religion and in that case she might have to loose her new faith. For the love of her new faith she kept silence for some days but began to cry aloud again for her mother just after one or two days. The Maulana ultimately permitted her to go but advised to go with the aim & intension (Niyet) to call her family towards Islam. He said to her if she had any love for her family and wanted the ultimate benefit for them, in that case she had to try to rescue them from the hell fire; she must request them to embrace Islam. Hera understood but replied that they hate Islam, how could she might be successful? Maulana replied, �If Allah broadens their mind for Islam they will hate the Kufur as much as they hate Islam now. May Allah rescue you from all evils? If you have to face tortures then understand that it was the Sunnah of our beloved Prophet as he also faced sufferings for the cause of calling people towards Islam and if they kill you, in that case you will have salvations in the shortest way by attaining Shahadat (Martyrdom). It may also be the cause of bringing your entire family into Islam.� Maulana Sahab advised her to pray two Rakats of Salat (prayer) before leaving and urge to Allah the Almighty for the salvation of her entire family and proceed with the intension to invite her family members to-wards Islam. Thereafter she came back to Fulat from Delhi and from Fulat to our home. I was furious when I saw her in our house and bit her with shoes till I became tired. She did not resist but only said that she had embraced Islam and there was no power on earth that could prevent her from the true religion. We increased our torture on her but she cried and cried only with the request to us to become Muslims. Her mother was ill. After two months she expired. Hera expressed that her mother before death embraced Islam and then requested the local Muslims to bury her mother as per Islamic rituals but we did not allow it. We burned her dead body as per Hindu customs by force. Almost all the days we faced quarrels and dissensions on this issue within our family. Hera always requested us to accept Islam; some times to her father some times brothers. Being annoyed lastly we sent her to her maternal grand-mother but her maternal uncle after some days retuned her back to us. He reported that the girl was mad as she always requested every one to become Muslim. Under that situation, I went to have advice from the people of Bazrang party. They advised to kill her. Accordingly I made a ditch with at least five feet depth near the bank of a river at a distance place. With my elder brother (father of Hera) I proceeded with the girl that way, with the excuse that we were going to the residence of a distant relation. Perhaps she could imagine about our conspiracy. She requested us to let her pray to Allah for the last time. After prayer, she dressed as a bride and followed us without a word. When we were about to reach our destination she laughed at her father saying, �Where is your relative's house father! Are you taking me to their house or to the house of death?� (Describing up to this the narrator began to cry). We took her near the ditch. We had five liters of Petrol in a container in our bag. Her father and I took her near the ditch which we prepared before one day. And this cruel beast her uncle (at this point the narrator burst loudly into cry) I my-self threw her into the ditch and said, �You wanted to rescue us from the hell-fire, now test the hell-fire here.� We emptied the container upon her and threw a burning stick of matchbox to her. Instantly she was engulfed with fire from top to toe. (describing up to this, the narrator took some rest). She was standing in the ditch in blazing fire. She raised her two hands to the sky and cried out, �Oh my Allah! Are you not looking to me? Look at me. Don't you love me? Yes you love me. You love Ger-E-Hera and you also love this burning Hera. I want nothing more than your love Oh my Allah!� Then she cried to us, �Oh my father! Please embrace Islam and be a Muslim. Oh my uncle you too be a Muslim.� On hearing that, �Be a Muslim� I became very angry. I pulled on my brother's hand and said, �Let us go from here.� We heard that she was reciting �La Elaha Illal Lah� in a very low voice which stopped after a while. We returned our home without looking back. On our way, my elder brother said to me, �You could have requested her once more, a final request.� I did not reply. After returning home my brother stopped talking and eating food. Soon he was bed ridden and lastly one day he told me, �What is past is passed, but I want to die on the religion for which Hira sacrificed her life, you please call some Maulana.� On seeing my elder brother's condition I was quite broken by heart and could not resist my-self without crying. I contacted the Imam of our near by mosque. He came and my brother recited Kalima Shahada and was given a Muslim name as Abdur Rahman. After just two days my brother expired. I was left with a storm in my heart as to how I can keep my brother's last request to bury him as per Muslim rituals. I adapted a policy for this purpose. I took his body to Hospital on the plea of getting death certificate and then contacted some doctor of Hamdard to whom I disclosed every thing. He called some Muslim people of the locality and they buried my brother accordingly. On my elder brother's death I was so much struck in my heart that I was made a complete separate person than before. Enmity with the Muslims in my mind was completely removed. I feared that my Bhabi that is the wife of my elder brother might have also become a Muslim. I was wondering some body may have done some sorcery upon us so that we all become Muslim and be dead one by one. I was searching for some Guru who can cure us by means of incantation. So in search of such a person, one day I was traveling from Shameli to Awon by bus. The bus was perhaps of a Muslim and the driver was also Muslim. He started a Kawali in the cassette player. It was a fine melodious Kawali although the singer seemed to be old, but his voice was very sweet. The speaker was just over my head. The Kawali was of the fact of Rasul-E- Karim Muhammad (pbuh) and his behavior with an old Jew lady who used to plant thorns on the way of the prophet daily. Rasul-E- Karim (pbuh) used to remove the thorns daily from the street without asking any one. One day Rasul-E- Karim (pbuh) did not see any thorn on the street. He asked the people near by, about the old woman's residence and found her there sick and bed-ridden. The prophet (pbuh) began to nurse her. After some time when she felt better and Rasul-E- Karim (pbuh) was returning she asked his name and came to know that it was he on whose way she planted thorns every day. At once she begged his pardon and became a Muslim. I did not know this fact before. I believed on details of that incident solely which moved my mind. I got down at JhinJhina on the way instead of going to Awon. I realized that I should know details about Islam. I availed the return bus to Shameli. In a cassette, a lecture of Maulana Muhammad Hanif of Pakistan was being heard. It was regarding life after death. I had to get down at Shameli but when the bus reached there the driver switched off the cassette player although the lecture was not finished. I enquired about the destination of the bus; it was to go up to Muzaffarnagar. So I took ticket of Muzaffarnagar to hear the lecture up to the end. When I was yet to reach Muzaffarnagar at Baghra the lecture was complete. That lecture shortened the distance between Islam and me. I got down at Burhana Road; and there after caught the bus for home. In the bus some Muslim man was sitting by my side. I asked him if he can help me to know details about Islam. He advised me to go to Fulat and meet Maulana Kalim Siddiqui, as there would not be any better person in this regard in the locality. I took his address from that person and instead of going home I went to Fulat at Maulana's residence. He was not at his home at the time I reached there. I waited for him with the teachers of Madrasha attached to his house. The teacher provided me at the night, with a copy of a book-�Your Custodian at Your Service� written by the Maulana which I read very eagerly. After one day, the Maulana came home and after his Maghreeb prayer talked with me. I said that I came to know about Islam but his book made me its prey. He was smiling. I expressed my willingness to become a Muslim and accordingly recited Kalima � La Ilaha Illal Lahu Muhammader Rasul Allah. (There is no god but Allah and Muhammad (pbuh) is His Messenger) on 13 th of January 2000, along with the Maulana. He named me Abdullah. Then I expressed the background of my decision for accepting Islam as my religion. I told him everything about Hira and how brutally we killed her. Hearing the name of Hira the Maulana began to weep for a long time after that he controlled his emotions with a deep sigh and said, �Hera came to me, she accepted Kalima from me. She lived in Delhi with my sister as a member of our family.� At that time I could not also control myself. Beating upon my head with my hands I said to the Maulana,� What will be my fate? May I have the mercy of Allah? How? So long I myself am unable to pardon me! How Allah will pardon me of sins of such a grievous nature? The Maulana remained quiet for some time and then said to me, �If you repent for your sins and ask mercy of Allah the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, He may forgive you as He is also the Most Forgiving and His mercy knows no bound. We know that there was an incident of more or less same nature at the time of Rasul-E-Karim (SM). A renowned Shahaban �Akram, at the time of his Jaheleyat, (before being Muslim) killed his beloved daughter, as per their customs by burying her alive in the grave. After being Muslim he often used to repent for this crime. Rasul-E-Karim (SM) one day consoled him by saying that when he pronounced Kalima Shahada, all his sins and crimes of the past life were forgiven. Same was the case with Hinda sister of Abu Sufian, who chewed the liver of Shahid Hamza but when she embraced Islam, all her sins were pardoned as declared by Rasul-E-Karim (SM). So you need not be disheartened from the mercy of Allah since He is the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful. After having consolation from Maulana I came back to our home, sold out all our assets and left our paternal village residence with all the remaining members of the family. We all embraced Islam and began to reside in a Muslim majority area near by. Since then I always try to save lives of Muslim brethren specially the affected ones by communal riots. During last riots in Gujrat, Allah had given me the opportunity to save the lives of many affected Muslim. It is Allah who gives and takes away lives but I was just an Wasila (a medium).As an old member of the Bazrang party I used to have prior information about the operations to be done in various Muslim areas. I passed such information before hand to the Muslim brothers. One day I came to know that they will attack on a Madrasha, I rushed there and by breaking the wall opposite the main gate at least 400 students were saved. All were done by the grace of Allah the Almighty. I always bear the intention and pray to Allah that may Allah save my Muslim brethren's lives through me at least 100 times more than that was massacred by me at the time when I was a non-believer Brother reporter! Through you, I take this opportunity to place this request before my Muslim brethren who will go through this report that they should pray for and ask pardon on my behalf so that May Allah kindly pardons me and save me in the day of Resurrection. May Allah preserve every Muslims by His grace?